HANSON

by MIKAEL WOOD
Seattle Weekly

Considering the groundswell of hype surrounding wistful Texan dream-popsters Eisley and chuckleheaded Tennessee boogie- rockers Kings of Leon—both young, sibling-centered acts for whom long hair is a virtue—the time might be right for the resurgence of the sweet-voiced, well-meaning Hanson brothers, obviously the Strokes of the last teen-pop era and the most creative, influential spellers I can think of pre-Nelly. The brothers—hunky Taylor, mature Isaac, and goofy Zac, if you don't recall—are on tour supporting Underneath Acoustic, a new live-in-the-studio CD they're selling on their Web site that reportedly previews their forthcoming overdubbed-in-the-studio album, Underneath. Somewhat surprisingly, that'll only be their third proper full-length since MMMbopping to fame and fortune in 1997, as some impatient doofus at Mercury convinced the brothers (and their handlers) to squander their precious cultural currency releasing a humdrum live album, a pointless "indie"-rarities set, and a Christmas disc that still gets play every season under my personal mistletoe. The years have sapped quite a bit of the zippy joie de vivre from Hanson's music: 2000's This Time Around featured guest shots from lame ducks Jonny Lang and John Popper (Blues Traveler), lending nominal juice to tunes in serious need of sweetness and light. And Underneath promises creative input from Carole King, Michelle Branch, and Barenaked Lady Ed Robertson, none of whom I can imagine wearing a lamp shade as a hat. On the other hand, the brothers also received songwriting help from Matthew Sweet and former New Radical Gregg Alexander, two seasoned pros with knacks for rejuvenating clients' iffy careers—so maybe Hanson can rescue themselves from the middle of nowhere. MIKAEL WOOD

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